Why UCSF?

Here's what some of our current students have to say:

"San Francisco is a great place to be an MSTP- there's always something cool going on in the city and there's relatively affordable (and very nice!) housing around- I live in a classic old Victorian that was built in the late 1800's. Plus, the surrounding area is really beautiful- I like going mountain biking up in the Marin Headlands just across the Golden Gate Bridge, and there's surfing, sailing and all sorts of recreational options available in the Bay and nearby."

Miles Berger (entered 2001)

"UCSF was the clear choice for me because of its excellence in both medicine and research, and particular strength in the basic and clinical neurosciences. Combined with a beautiful city full of fun and interesting things to do and proximity to the great outdoors in the form of beaches, forests, hiking, camping, skiing, and other activities, UCSF seemed like the perfect place to spend 7-8 years during training in the program. My lab recently moved to the new Mission Bay campus. We now occupy beautiful, pristine lab space and have a great group of neighbors surrounding us that are unified in their interests in genetics, development, and behavioral sciences. I commute by shuttle to and from the Parnassus campus, which gives me an opportunity to talk with a variety of students, postdocs, and faculty who commute regularly. While not in lab, I enjoy the many entertainment and cultural options that San Francisco has to offer, including the world-class theater, opera, symphony, restaurants, and bars. UCSF has a unique, collaborative atmosphere that permeates both the educational and research environment. The professors truly put student learning first and foremost and are highly responsive to student feedback. In addition, interactions between research laboratories are abundant, whether it involves collaborative projects that encompass a wide range of techniques or simply borrowing a reagent. With tremendous resources and faculty that are flexible and willing to try new ideas, students are in an ideal environment to nurture their educational goals."

Jeremy Cholfin (entered 2001)

"I chose to come to UCSF because of the fantastic clinical exposure, the strong research opportunities, and most importantly the location. How can you beat living 10 minutes away from surfing, a few hours away from snowboarding, and in the middle of some of the best biking the country has to offer?"

Venu Nemani (entered 2002)

"Actually, if I have to be honest, the reason I chose UCSF is because it was the one medical school that I visited where all of the medical students I met, and all of the MSTP students I met, seemed to be happy. I think there's something fulfilling about having a view of the Golden Gate Bridge out of your lab window. But not everyone is lucky enough to have that, so maybe it's something in the air, or the rush that comes from riding your bike up one of the famously steep San Francisco hills on your way to school, or the thick fog that obscures your neighborhood when you wake up in the morning. Or maybe it's the pass/fail grading system (for medical school)... Whatever it is, I'm glad I came here."

Maya Ponte (entered 1998)

"The decision for me to come to UCSF was based on three things:
1. I wanted to move away from Boston and live in another great part of the country.
2. The students with whom I spoke at UCSF were interesting, happy and smart.
3. Both the medical and graduate schools are great and the researchers are doing excellent science.

Since being here, I have found that all of the above to be true first-hand, and I am really happy that I am at UCSF. The Bay Area is a great place to live. I especially enjoy the areas surrounding San Francisco, like wine country, and the naturally beautiful areas to explore, like Tahoe. I am "totally stoked" about my newest hobby, surfing!"

Luisa Stamm (entered 1998)

I think I chose UCSF for a variety of reasons: a. It represents one of the best combinations of clinical training and research opportunities in the country. I felt that several of the other programs I was considering were really strong in either clinical training of research but UCSF had a terrific balance of the two. b. UCSF deservedly has a reputation of being a collaborative community. There are few other institutions with such a high degree of interaction (even the buildings are set up/built to encourage collaboration) - perhaps CalTech and Rockefeller come to mind. c. A set of faculty that genuinely LOVE to teach. The availability of professors, their enthusiasm for teaching, and the sheer number of learning opportunities made UCSF stand out in my mind. At no other school that I visited did I so consistently hear this comment about faculty teaching. d. UCSF had a young but very strong and flexible program in the graduate sciences I was interested in: Chemistry and Chemical Biology. e. The city of San Francisco is incredibly hard to beat. The only other college city that I think comes close is Boston. If you like diversity of culture, San Francisco is the city to be in. In addition, if you are an avid adventure seeker, the Bay Area offers a huge number of activities- hiking or bike-riding in Marin, skiing in Tahoe, state and national parks (including Yosemite) within easily drivable distances, etc.

Jason Miller (entered 2002)